Beard steamer



Jan. 14, 1964 R. L. EROPST 3,117,576

BEARD STEAMERl Filed oct. 8,1962

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United States Patent O 3,117',576 .HEARD STEAMER Raymond L. iropst, Rte.3, Box i972, Astoria, Greg. Filed Get. S, i952. Ser. No. 228,534 Claims.(Qi. 12S-254) `My invention relates to beard Steamers or means to aid inthe softening of human beards prior to shaving.

One of the objectives of my invention is to prepare the beard, as bysoftening, prior to shaving.

Another objective is to cut the preparation time so that it takes onlyone or two minutes at the most.

A further objective is to prepare the beard so that a once over isusually sufficient.

However, the principal objective of my invention is to provide a simpledevice formed of plastic having a stii lower hot water receptacleportion and an upper flexible portion adapted to be folded or telescopedinto the lower portion receptacle to decrease the bulk for storage ortransportation.

Applicant happens to have an extremely tough 4l'ieavy beard coupled witha. tender skin. In order to present a respectable appearance, which is amust every day, it becomes necessary to shave with and against thegrain. This means time lost and in the end a sore tace. Many methodshave been employed to cut down the shaving tirne as well as to eliminatethe sore face. Experience indicates that the application of 'moist heatis the best beard softener and is gentle to the skin. Barbers have formany years used hot to-wels for the application of moist heat. However,this is a slow process and is dithcult for the individual to apply. Fora long time I draped a bath towel over my head to form a canopy over thelavatory bowl which was filled lwith hot water at tap temperature. Thismethod worked well but was too cumberstone and time-consuming.Experimental work developed the device which is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. l of the drawings is an end View of one version of the beardsteamer in which the top land bottom portions are cast integral; FIG. 2is a iront elevation of FiG. 1; FIG. 3 is -a side elevation of FG. l;FIG. 4 is a vertical ysection on the -line 4-4 of FiG. 1; FIG 5 is avertical section on the line 5 5 of FIG. V1; FIG. 6 is a front elevationshowing the top portion of an embodiment of the beard steamer; FiG. 7shows the handle provided with a threaded bottom-engaging portion; FiG.8 shows a two-part pivotal handle; FiG. 9 shows a stop portion on saidpivotal handle; FIG. l() shows the top and bottom portions cast separateand secured together with an adhesive; PEG. 11 illustrates the fasteningmeans of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6; FiG. 12 shows the beardsteamer folded or telescoped and strapped in this position.

Throughout the drawings `and the specication similar numerals refer tosimilar parts.

I find the plastic known `as polyethylene to meet the requirement of thebeard steamer. It will hold water at from 140 to 16() degrees Fahr. Itis readily cast in either thick or thin sections or a combinationthereof. It may be formulated to provide stiness, exibility, or forrepeated flexings ias when the thin top portion of the beard steamer istelescoped or folded into the stiff lower portion. The manufacturer ofpolyethylene, or any other plastic used, should be consulted as to thebest formula for the conditions encountered.

FG. l shows the beard steamer to be circular in form and approximately6" in diameter. It may be rectangular and comprises the stiff lowerportion 1 (say 0.100 thick) tapering into the thin exible upper portion2 (say 0.050 thick) as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. These figures show thetapered portion indented at 3 to permit easier Mice telescoping orbending of the thin upper portion Z into the well portion W of thebottom portion 1. This well W is made approximately 11/2 in depth and.is iiflled to a depth of approximately .l1/4 with water from the hotrwater tap having a temperature of `from to 160 degrees Fahr. The upperportion 2 of the beard steamer is approximately 7 in depth thus givingan overall depth of 81/2. The front face of the beard steamer S isrelieved or cu-t away as shown at 4 to a depth of 11/2 from the top T,and the back face is relieved or cut away to an approximate depth of 5`from the top T as shown at 5. See FIGS. 2 and 4 in particular. Asrelieved the front cface at 4 is positioned against the bottom of theusers nose and the back `face S is positioned adjacent the Adams appleof the user when the beard steamer is in use. When so positioned theside portions 6 terminate adjacent the bottom of the ears of the user.As a consequence of the above structure most of the hairy portion of theusers face is enveloped by the beard steamer and adapted to receive themoist air arising from the hot Water within the well W.

rille beard steamer S is held in an upright working position by acylindrical handle 7, as shown in iFlGS. 4 and 5, whose upper end istapered for reception in the tapered aperture 8 in the boss 9 which isshown projecting into the well W. PIG. 7 indicates that the handle 7 maybe cast with a thread Mi and threaded into the boss 9. FiG. 6 shows atwo-part handle 7" journalled on the shaft il supported in the bearinglugs 12 which depend from the bottom 13 of the beard steamer shell S.PEG. 9 shows the .stop portion i4 formed on the separate handle portions7A and 7B to prevent the beard steamer S from turning about the shaft iiwhen the beard steamer S is being held in working position by the user.When the beard steamer S is not in use the handle portions '7A and u7Bof the handle 7 may be positioned against the bottom 13 of the beardsteamer S -as shown by the brol-:en outline in FG. 8. it is to be notedthat the handle portion 7A forms the handle portion 7B when reversed.

FIG. 6 sho-ws the beard steamer upper portion 2. slit at the quarterpoints within approximately 21/2 from the bottom-front slits l5 and i6being shown in said FIG. 6i. When so slit a thicker or stiffer plasticsection may be used for the upper portion 2. Portions adjacent a slit`are lapped and pinned as with the means 17 shown in FIG. 11.

FG. 10 shows the upper porti-on 2 as part or" a cylindrical shelladapted to be slipped over the side wall 13 of lthe beard steamer lowerportion i and secured to said side wall i8 by `any suitable .bondingmaterial or by any other suitable means as a band, not shown.

When it is desired to use the beard steamer S, it is put in the shapeshown in FG. 2, for instance. It is then filled with hot tap water tothe depth previously noted. The beard steamer is held to the head of theuser with the front point d positioned just under his nose and with theback point 5 adjacent his Adams apple. A minute or twois suicient tohold the beard steamer in position. At this point it may be pointed outthat the face is washed with hot water and soap but 4not dried prior tousing the beard steamer S.

When through using the beard steamer S, the water is poured out and thetop portion 2 folded into the weil W in the bottom portion 1. The topportion 2 may be held in the telescoped position within the well W byany suitable means suoh as a rubber band (not shown) or by the strap 19(preferably elastic) the opposite ends of which engage a latching means20 formed on the ends of the handle portions '7A and 7B as shown in FG.12. This l-atohing means 19t-20 serves to hold the ends of the handleportions 7A and 7B in contact with the bottom 13 of the bottom portionot the beard steamer.

When the hand-les 7 or 7 are used they may be pulled from or unscrewedfrom the bottom portion 1 and positioned within the Well W in the bottomportion 1 prior to folding the top portion 2 over them.

It is quite apparent that a beard steamer measuring 6" X 81/2 when inuse is cumbersome to store in the bathroom or carry on a trip away fromhome. However, since the beard steamer may be telescoped into a.cornpact package 6 in diameter by 2 thick, it stores well and has a goodappearance. When travelling the beard steamer occupies little space.

What is new over the prior art is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fbeard steamer having in combination, a stit shallow bottom portionformed of plastic constituting a Well for the reception of hot Water; athin eXible top portion formed of plastic joined to the bottom portionand adapted to be folded or telt-:scoped into the well formed in saidbottom portion, said top portion being relieved at the front and rear topermit adjoining sides to terminate under the users ears While the frontterminates the nose and the rear terminates adjacent the Adams apple ofsaid user; a handle attached to and projecting downwardly from thebottom of said bottom portion to be grasped by the user to hold thebeard steamer in the above related position to the head and means toretain the top portion Within the well when positioned therein.

2. The structure of claim l in which slit means are provided in the topportionA extending down to the top of the bottom portion to facilitatethe lfolding of the top portion into the Well of the bottom portion.

3. The structure of claim 1 in ywhich the handle has a taperedconnection with the bottom portion.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the handle has a threadedconnection with the bottom portion.

5. 'Ilhe structure of claim 1 in which the handle is formed of twooppositely disposed similar portions arranged in side by side verticalparallel alignment and hinged to the bottom of the bottom portion of thebeard steamer for holding said beard steamer in working relationrelative to the head of the user, the free ends of said handles beingprovided with fastening means interacting With said top portionretaining means to hold the handle portions when each of said :handleport-ions are moved to oppositely disposed horizontal positions incontact with said bottom portion.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 877,155Wood Ian. 21, 1998 1,013,079 Smith ec. 26, 1911 1,106,300 Graham Aug. 4,1914 1,145,133 Flynn July 6, 1915 2,473,926 Wesley June 2l, 19492,507,386 Spiegel May 9, 1950 2,635,605 Becker Apr. 21, 1953

1. A BEARD STEAMER HAVING IN COMBINATION, A STIFF SHALLOW BOTTOM PORTIONFORMED OF PLASTIC CONSTITUTING A WELL FOR THE RECEPTION OF HOT WATER; ATHIN FLEXIBLE TOP PORTION FORMED OF PLASTIC JOINED TO THE BOTTOM PORTIONAND ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED OR TELESCOPED INTO THE WELL FORMED IN SAIDBOTTOM PORTION, SAID TOP PORTION BEING RELIEVED AT THE FRONT AND REAR TOPERMIT ADJOINING SIDES TO TERMINATE UNDER THE USER''S EARS WHILE THEFRONT TERMINATES THE NOSE AND THE REAR TERMINATES ADJACENT THE ADAM''SAPPLE OF SAID USER; A HANDLE ATTACHED TO AND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROMTHE BOTTOM OF SAID BOTTOM PORTION TO BE GRASPED BY THE USER TO HOLD THEBEARD STEAMER IN THE ABOVE RELATED POSITION TO THE HEAD AND MEANS TORETAIN THE TOP PORTION WITHIN THE WELL WHEN POSITIONED THEREIN.